Bank of Thailand Reports Trade Surplus Up and Investment Down.

Byline: Parista Yuthamanop

Aug. 1--While the trade surplus posted its strongest gains of the year in June, investment and manufacturing production showed a slight dip from the month before, the Bank of Thailand said yesterday.

Atchana Waiquamdee, senior director of the central bank's monetary policy group, said the latest economic data showed little change in June from the month before. Export value in June totalled $5.38 billion, she said, a 1.5 percent decline from the year before. Import value was $4.98 billion, an 8.2 percent increase, resulting in an overall trade surplus of $403 million.

The current account surplus in June totalled $579 million, although the balance of payments was in deficit for the fourth straight month at -$135 million.

Dr Atchana said it was too early to say whether the June decline in imports represented a continuing trend.

"But imports are falling due to the drop in exports. Generally there will be a time lag, as exporters and producers adjust their stock levels to cope with the decline in orders," she said.

For the first half, export value was $31.65 billion, a decline of 0.9 percent from the same period last year. Import value was $31.18 billion, an increase of 7.2 percent from the year before.